Alphabetical Love
by Wohitzi
Summary: A' is for Aang, 'B' is for blind, 'C' is for caressing wind, 'D' is for destructive earth... Their's twenty-six letters and a million words to describe the couple, their journeys, their love. Unconnected Drabbles
1. Yes

Toph said no to a lot of things.

She said no when he offered to take her gliding with him, no to going penguin-sledding with him, not to Katara braiding her hair. No to _anyone_ touching her feet, no to letting him take a break from learning a particularly trying earthbending technique. She rejected and declined and outright refused many requests, except the one he cared about most.

"Twinkle Toes, you idiot! Of _course_ I'll marry you!" she yelled, attempting to hide watery eyes with annoyed words and an affectionate punch.

* * *

Author's Notes: _OMG, it's so short! o_

_But it's something. I haven't written for this pair in a while, so I figure a ficlet, whatever the length, is long overdue. I'll try and writ more for Taang, though. _

**Disclaimer: I do not own 'Avatar' or any of its characters. **


	2. Princess

"I'm not doing it."

"C'mon, Toph! It'll be fun!"

"For _you_, maybe. _I'm_ the one suffering the consequences."

"You're so uptight! I thought you wanted to loosen up and be more like an airbender."

"When I signed up for 'airbender school', _this_ was not what I had in mind."

"Well, I think it's cute-"

"I don't _do_ cute, Twinkle Toes!"

"- _And_ that you make a lovely princess. The dress and tiara really suit you."

"... I'll give you a five second head start. Then you're dead."

Laughing, the airbender ruffled her loose, flowing hair, knocking the tiara from her head and earning an annoyed snort.

"Three second left. Don't doubt my threat – Avatar or not, I _will_ give you an early ticket to the Spirit World."

"Trust me, Toph, I'd never suspect you of lying," he said, smiling. Then he leaned forward, placing a quick kiss on her cheek before he turned and zoomed off, aided by a gust of wind.

Frozen in place, Toph blinked once, twice, three times, trying to register what had happened. After a few moments, she growled, lifting the hem of her dress and attempting to chase the still-laughing boy, cursing dresses and shoes and unpredictable airbenders the whole time.

* * *

Author's Notes: _Written on the spur of the moment because I don't give this ship enough love. No editing, so I apologize for potential crapiness._

_What does Toph wearing a dress and tiara have to do with airbenders? Not much, but Aang is a clever, sneaky liar who likes explaining things whilst on a flying bison. Toph had no chance. _

**Disclaimer: I do not own 'Avatar' or any of its characters**


	3. Ice

Coldness bit at her feet, the slick, wet surface impossible to see or stand on. Her balance wavered, and she flailed her arms to keep upright, crying out in surprise as gravity won.

"Gotcha!" Aang said, catching the blind earthbender from behind. His parka acted as cushioning, warm and soft against her back.

"I _hate_ the Water Tribe," Toph declared through gritted teeth, allowing him to slowing raise her back to her feet. "It's so cold and stupid. I can't even see!"

"You'll get used to it," he chuckled. Then, looping his arm through hers, he began to gently guide her across the ice, saying, "C'mon, let's get you a pair of boots so I can teach you how to skate."

She pouted, pretending to be upset while secretly enjoying his closeness.

* * *

Author's Notes:_ Short, spur of the moment drabble. Pointless fluff. But that's always a good thing, right?_

**Disclaimer: I do not own 'Avatar' or any of its characters. **


	4. Assassin

Blood pooled on the floor, slowly spreading out across the floor. Her eyes stared up at him blankly, unseeing like always, but in a much worse way. Green clothes were stained darker with red.

It took only a second for the sight to register, and one more for the familiar feeling of grief to tear apart his heart. By the third second, his arrows were glowing and he was unleashing a storm of violence and revenge, years of training and mastering his power eradicated by the bloody scene.

Five seconds later, the assassin was crushed beneath stone, and the Avatar was mourning over his lover's lifeless body.

* * *

Author's Notes: _Short, but most definitely not fluffy. D: Hopefully you guys still like it - I had trouble getting things worded right. _

**Disclaimer:****I do not own 'Avatar' or any of its characters. **_  
_


	5. Dirt

"I like the dirt," Toph declared, leaning back on her hands, wiggling her bare, mud-caked toes.

Aang had never understood this. Growing up in the Air Temples, cleanliness had always been strongly emphasized, the monks explaining that a clean body allowed for a clean mind and soul. He had always adhered to this belief, even during the long months of travelling across the earth with his friends.

But now, watching Toph smile as she lay back on the muddy ground, dirtying her hair and clothes and telling him to "Quite being a pansy and jump in the puddle, Twinkle Toes", he was more than willing to forget the monks' teachings.

* * *

Author's Notes: _More pointlessly short Taang-y goodness. :3 and, yes, I know Aang isn't quite as squeaky clean as this portrays him, but, well... I thought it as an interesting concept. _

_  
_**Disclaimer: I do not own 'Avatar' or any of its characters.  
**


	6. Brush

"Aang is gonna die when he sees you," Katara gushed, running a brush through Toph's long, silky black hair.

The blind girl blew a strand of hair away from her face, pretending to be upset with the mini-makeover (she wasn't, though. Truthfully, she had found herself truly worried over appearances for one of the first times in her life). "Just don't overdo it. I wanna surprise Twinkle Toes, not make him think I've been replaced by some fashion obsessed airhead."

"Relax – I'm not like that spa in Ba Sing Se," Katara assured her, pinning her friend's hair up in an elegant pile on top of her head, letting her bangs hang loose around her face.

"You're sure I don't look like a poodle-monkey?"

"Positive."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Promise?"

"_Toph_."

XxXx

"Wow. You look... _Amazing."_

"I can feel your heart skipping," Toph pointed out, frowning and fidgeting with the jade and white fabric of her hanbok. "That better not mean you're lying."

"No," Aang said, taking in her simple but elegant appearance, "it's definitely not a lie."

* * *

Author's Notes: _Err, sorry for not posting a drabble last week. I kinda forgot. xD Hopefully you like this one, though - I think it's actually a bit longer than what I usually write. _

_Also, for those wondering, hanbok__ is a Korean style dress. I'm pretty sure Song wears a hanbok, in case you're wondering what it looks like. _

**Disclaimer: I do not own "Avatar" or any of its characters. Or a hanbok, for that matter. **


	7. Zen

A few weeks after the fateful battle against Fire Lord Ozai, Aang's seventh chakra seemed to relock itself, the constant peace and connection he felt to the universe suddenly cutting off. The once fully realized Avatar didn't understand why – he had fulfilled his duty and mastered the Avatar State; why should he lose that?

It was worrying. The world needed his support and guidance, someone to help quell rising rebellions and settle disputes worldwide, but he needed full control and peace of mind to do his job properly. Like he often did in times of trouble, he turned to Avatar Roku for advice.

"You did not properly master the Avatar State," the spirit explained. "In order for your chakras to remain open, you must let go of whatever blocks them. Otherwise, they will soon become clogged again."

"But-" Aang started, only to find he was unable to think of an argument. When it came to mastering the Avatar State, there wasn't much room for negotiation or rule-twisting, not like there was with airbending or problem-solving.

Returning to the physical world, he sat awake in his bed in the Southern Air Temple, chewing his lip worriedly. His thoughts drifted to the room across from his, where he knew Katara was no doubt sleeping soundly, having agreed to follow him on his journey to repair the ruined temples and other lingering damages caused by the terrible war. He had struggled against this inevitable task for so long, thought and wondered and schemed ways he could avoid it, hoped he had finally managed to escape when the world's energy flowed freely through him during the fight against Ozai... Only to realize he really had to lose her; that he really couldn't hold on as tightly as he wanted.

Maybe he didn't have to; maybe he could keep doing his job without the Avatar State – that was how he always did it before. Who needed tradition and properness and all that crap? The Avatar's job was to make peace and keep the world in harmony, not achieve absolute power.

But then he remembered Katara hugging him the first time they saw each other after the Comet, the broad smile on her and everyone else's faces when he retold the story of his battle in detail. _'I'm so proud of you, Aang,'_ she had said.

He had to do it. He couldn't disappoint her with another failure, even if it meant losing her.

So, with a pained sigh, he shifted into a meditative pose, focusing his mind and his energies. The cosmos spread out before him, a pathway of stars laid out in front of him, a massive figure of himself at the end holding the earth in its hands. It was still as awe inspiring as the first time, still as heart-wrenching.

Images of the waterbender passed through his mind, and it was all he could do not to run back the way he came and let the universe crumble around him like he did before. Pure will power was all that kept him in place, letting spiritual energy in and desire for Katara out.

And, when it was all over and he found himself back in his room, nothing happened. The world was still in one piece, his memories of the waterbender were still intact, and, when he crept down the hall and peeked into her room, she was still alive and well. He wondered if maybe letting go didn't mean anything, or if maybe his love was so strong not even spiritual energies could flush it out.

It certainly seemed that way. Over the next week, nothing strange happened between him and Katara. She acted the same, his feelings didn't seem any different, and they were both perfectly happy. Most importantly, the Avatar State worked without issue – he could go in and out of it at any moment. Things were as perfect as ever.

Then they went to Gao Ling to visit the Bei Fong family for Toph's birthday (they had been sent an invitation). He sat beside Katara at the dinner table, across from Zuko and Mai. The waterbender and firebender talked amiably, reminding everyone of what close friends they had become despite their initial difficulties.

Then Toph was brought into the room amid an entourage of servants, more prim and proper than he had ever seen her. Her long hair was let loose around her shoulders, pale eyes accented by expertly applied make-up, a long moss-green dress covering her figure; so long it hid her feet and dragged on the floor behind her. Judging by the uncertainty with which she walked, her parents had forced her into shoes.

As beautiful as she looked, Toph's expression was the only thing Aang could pay attention to. Beneath the make-up was a small, barely noticeable frown, her eyebrows drawn together in obvious discontent. And just like the first day he met her, Aang wanted to rescue her from the smothering protection of her parents.

The dinner passed slowly. Everyone talked and ate and had a good time, but Aang was too focused on Toph's unhappy appearance to notice. He watched her carefully, waiting for her to invite him out to spar or to make some sarcastic comment or do something she would normally do out of the presence of her parents, but it never came. He hardly noticed when a few of the guests left – Sokka and Suki to go in town for shopping, Katara and Zuko for an unvoiced reason.

Finally, late into the celebration, Toph invited him out to the garden, discreetly kicking off her shoes and hiding them under the table before they left. She had to hold up the hem of her dress to keep from tripping over it, something she complained about as soon as they were out of earshot of her parents. It was a relief to see her acting like her old self again.

"I hate it," she said, sitting on the railing of the small foot bridge. "Even after I save the world from obliteration via psychotic warlord, my parents _still_ think I'm too fragile to be left alone for more than a minute. It's like they're the ones who're blind."

"You could come with me," Aang suggested, smiling at the déjà vu of the moment. "I could use some help repairing the Air Temples."

"Run away again? Sorry, but if it didn't work the first time, it's not gonna work again. I just can't prove to them that I can take care of myself."

"Who said you'd be running away? Or that you'd even have to go back to your parents? I mean, next year you'll be Earth Kingdom marrying age, and that means you're an adult, right?"

She pursed her lips, thinking. Closing his eyes, Aang focused on the vibrations in the earth, pinpointing her heartbeat and trying to determine her reaction. Her pulse thrummed steadily, a little quicker than usual. Maybe she was excited. Maybe she was scared.

"And if you're worried about feeling homesick again, we can come visit your parents as often as you like," he suggested, hoping to push her toward the positive view of things.

"Well," she started, taking her time responding. "I guess anything's better than hanging around here, even if it is helping you repair temples... Just let me stay on solid earth as often as possible and try not to be too mushy with Sugar Queen while I'm around."

He blinked, the last part catching him off guard."Why would I be mushy with Katara?"

"Uh, because you're obsessed with her and started dating, like, five minutes after Zuko's coronation?" Tapping the side of his head, she added, "Everything okay in there? You didn't fall off Appa on the way over, did you?"

The information registered as truth in his mind, but seemed like something from another person's life instead of his own. Shaking his head in effort to rid himself of the strange detachment he felt, he said, "No, no, I'm fine. Tired, I guess – a lot's happened lately, it's hard to keep track of it all."

She looked sceptical, but said nothing.

"So," Aang said, moving back to the original subject, "you're coming with me?"

"I don't see any reason not to."

A broad grin split across his face. "Awesome! You better go pack your stuff."

The earthbender was already making her way back toward the mansion of a house, saying, "The only thing I need to do is change out of this ridiculous outfit. And tell my parents I'm leaving, I guess."

And that was that. They left within the hour, despite the protests of Toph's horrified and teary-eyed parents, hopping onto Appa's back and disappearing into the clouds, shouting promises to write often as they lifted above the rooftops. Katara, oddly, made no comment on the sudden addition to their group – she was off somewhere else in her mind, grinning like an idiot as she said her goodbyes to an equally light-headed Zuko.

Weeks passed. The trio worked on repairing the fallen temples between requests for the Avatar's peacemaking abilities, and wrote letters to the friends and family they had left behind. The temple began looking like its old self, slowly but surely, and the chaos that had erupted after the war was being well contained, the world slowly easing into a new era of peace and harmony. They visited the fire palace often, helping the inexperienced Fire Lord deal with Fire Nation's anger at his rule.

Things were good; everything was falling into place like it was supposed to, the world beginning to rebalance itself after a century of destruction.

Then Katara broke up with Aang.

And he found himself not the least bit upset.

Which was odd and more than a little worrying.

So, he sought help from the only person available at the time – Roku.

"What's wrong with me?" Aang asked, head in hands as the Spirit listened to his story. He sat in his room in the Air Temple, talking to Roku at the dead of night while the others slept, his mind too troubled and unfocused to enter the Spirit World. "I'm supposed to love Katara, but I can't even feel upset about her leaving me!"

"Do you still care for her?"

"More than anything," he said earnestly, looking up to meet his mentor's eyes. "So why do I feel so... so... _at peace_ about her choosing Zuko?"

"I think I know what may have happened," Roku started, a smile finding his lips. "You see, when you let go of your attachment to fully awaken your abilities as the Avatar, you merely detach yourself from desperate desire and the need to have that person at your side forever. It makes moving on and accepting rejection much easier."

"But I don't _want_ to accept rejection! That's not how things are supposed to go!"

"But that's how it is."

The airbender silenced, staring down at his arrow-marked hands thoughtfully. How was it possible to be so upset about not being upset? And why did being the Avatar have to constantly complicate things?

"Something else troubles you."

"No, I'm just... confused," he said, shifting his position so he could hug his knees to his chest. "I want things back to the way they were."

The Spirit sighed, kneeling down so he was eyelevel with the young monk. "Aang, life is all about change. Some change we like, some we don't, but in the end, it is all for the better. Open your eyes to new possibilities and accept the unexpected paths life forces you to take. A fully awakened Avatar knows what they truly need and want, even if only subconsciously."

With that, Roku faded from the physical world, leaving Aang to wrestle his thoughts and contemplate this new piece of advice.

That night, his dreams were filled with pathways of stars leading in all directions, each with its own twisted, confusing end. He couldn't see what awaited him, but he followed anyway, turning back when he didn't like what he found, retracing steps to try and get back to where he was before, only to discover holes in the road and new turns spreading out before him.

Eventually, he found himself standing on a one-way path, all other options gone from sight. He followed the stars, the sun at his back, earth at his feet, and moon at his side.

And at the end of the starry trail was a constellation of a short girl in an elegant dress, her hair pulled into a bun, feet bare, and lips smirking. She had no eyes.

And she was his destiny.

* * *

Author's Notes: _Whoa this took a long time to write. o.o Hopefully the length makes up for lack of drabbles. _

_Ending of this turned out _way_ different than I expected. But I kinda really like it, so it's okay._

**Disclaimer: I do not own 'Avatar' or any of its characters.  
**


	8. Temporary

There are things normal people can't possibly know. Things even the _Avatar_ can't know. These things usually involve the short time between life and death, and the many mysteries that go along with both.

So, as much as he blamed himself, Aang could never have known what would happen to Toph during the fateful day of Sozin's Comet. He couldn't have known that she would slip from Sokka's grip as they dangled dangerously high on that airship, would never learn that her death had been quick and painless. He couldn't have known just how temporary his time with her would be.

And, likewise, he didn't know that their time _apart_ would be temporary. That, sooner or later, he too would die (years later, when a diehard supporter of Ozai took one last stand with his own dying breath), and they would be reunited in another time and another life.

Unknowing, unsuspecting, ready to start the cycle again.

* * *

Author's Notes: _I kinda like how this drabble turned out. Sorry if the style seems a little weird, though - I've been reading 'The Book Thief'. It's pretty awesome. _

_Anywho, thanks for the reviews and feedback on my other drabbles. =D I hope you enjoy this one, too!_

**Disclaimer: I do not own 'Avatar' or any of its characters. **


	9. Jealous

Toph BeiFong was a lot of things. She was blind, a fighter, the self-proclaimed best earthbender in the world, the _only_ metalbender in the world, a lie detector, and the only child of one of the Earth Kingdoms richest families. She was a lot of things, but jealous was most certainly _not_ one of them.

Why should she care if Twinkle Toes loved Katara? How did it have any effect on her if they were dating and kissing and being disgustingly mushy? Earth Rumble champions didn't care about that sort of thing – smashing heads and winning medals was far more entertaining. Besides, a man would just weigh her down, right?

Iroh insisted she was a "green-eyed monster" - Not that she had any idea what that meant. All she knew was that he said that while insisting that she as jealous of Sugar Queen, and she had denied it most fervently.

But it had no effect – everyone (well, Iroh, Ursa (Zuko's long lost mother, as it turned out), Jun, and Sokka) was of the opinion that she was envious of Aang's affections for Katara, and they all refused to get off her back about it. This, of course, only served to make her deny things even more fiercely, and eventually decide that she was "going to show those dunderheads just how honest I am!"

Which turned out quite interestingly.

At some point during the finger-pointing and name calling ("Listen up, Twinkle Toes, people have been talking and I'm gonna make them shut up, so just play along!" "But-" "I said shut it! You know I'll kick your pussy-ass if you don't do as I say!"), she had found herself _confessing_, an impossible act that did not fit under the list of Things Toph BeiFong Might Possibly Do In Her Lifetime.

But there she was, standing in front of a rather baffled Avatar, going from calling him a "fancy-footed sparkle-bender" to telling him that she was better than that "Over-bearing mother you call a girlfriend".

"You're wasting time getting spoon fed your supper and tucked in at night, when you could be chucking mountains and learning how to be a real man with me!"

Aang, for his part, looked caught between fear and intrigue. Cowering slightly, he winced as he attempted a response. "I'm... Sorry?"

"Yeah, you are sorry!"

Then she stomped away, red-faced and even more baffled at herself than him.

"So," Iroh started as she marched by. He had no chance to continue – she shot him with a dirty look and a pebble to the forehead.

Rubbing his stinging brow, the old man chuckled to himself. Things were working out perfectly, and he hadn't even needed to intervene.

* * *

Author's Notes: _Sorry for how long it's taken me to get another Taang drabble done. I had actually started to write one a while ago, but didn't like how it was turning out, so I started a new one. _

_Hopefully you guys enjoy this one. I'm not entirely happy with it, but I can't quite place my finger on why. :/_

**Disclaimer: I do not own 'Avatar' or any of its characters. **


	10. Eleven

It took Aang eleven minutes to confess to Toph. Well, eleven minutes and twenty-two seconds, but, really, who was counting? (Iroh was, actually.)

Though, to be fair, it took a while for him to reach an appropriate part in their conversation to make his declaration. This was partially Toph's fault – she just loved cutting him off with snappy comments and generally leading things off-topic.

It started in the gardens of Fire Lord Zuko's palace, on the third year anniversary party of the overthrowing of Ozai. Fire lilies and dragon blossoms were in full bloom, filling the air with a sweet scent and setting what was, in Aang's opinion, a very romantic atmosphere.

"Do we have to come out her?" Toph asked, wrinkling her nose. "The flowers smell awful."

Well, maybe not.

"Sorry," Aang said, scratching at his neck with a nervous chuckle as he glanced down at his companion. He'd had a growth spurt over the summer, much to Toph's annoyance. "It's just really loud inside with all the dancing and music, so..."

"Don't worry," she said, waving a hand dismissively. "So, what did you wanna talk about?"

This was it – the perfect opportunity to tell her how he felt! The speech he had prepared was still fresh in his mind (three years' practice with public speaking had helped him with the whole stage fright and nerves thing), waiting to be let loose on Toph's unsuspecting ears.

Meanwhile, Iroh was perched high up on a balcony over-looking the garden, watching the pair with great interest. It had been on his advice that Aang finally decided it was high time he let the girl know how he felt, and he wasn't about to miss a second of it (which is why he kept track of just how many passed). So far, the time count was at three minutes and six seconds.

"You see, there's been something I've been meaning to tell you-"

"Really? Wouldn't have guessed it," Toph cut in with a grin, oblivious to her friend's anxiety. Apparently, her senses weren't quite as perceptive as she claimed.

Faltering at the interruption, he tried to regain his momentum and figure out what part he had been at (perhaps planning his speech hadn't been so bright after all). "Uh... Well, see, it's just... not the easiest thing to say. I've been thinking about it for a long time, and well, I... See, it's just that..." he struggled, perfectly arranged words quickly escaping him, leaving a jumbled mess of half-formed sentences in his memory. "I've been thinking about a lot of things for a while-"

"You said that already."

"Right, sorry. Uh... Well, I realized that I... um... I've known you for a really long time and-"

Toph raised an eyebrow, smirking teasingly. "It took you that long to realize you've known me for a while? Wow, Twinkle-Toes."

On the balcony, Iroh was shaking his head. He had told to boy to expect interruptions, but did he listen? No. He just assumed his little speech would go off without a hitch, like when he was speaking with Fire Nation towns engaged in civil war or telling Earth Kingdom rebels to stop their violent acts.

Seven minutes and twenty-eight seconds, now.

Aang, meanwhile, was trying to ignore the girl's quips and focus on the evasive speech floating somewhere in the back of his mind. If he could just remember a few sentences...

"I've known you for a long time, and I got to thinking about things, and I realized" – wait, know, that part was supposed to be near the end, wasn't it? He was supposed to talk about Katara and heartbreak and finding strength in her – "Er, after I broke up with Katara... Well, you know how upset I was. And, uh, it was hard to move on, and I thought I'd never like anyone like her ever again."

"Are we back onto that again?" she sighed, opting to stop walking and slump onto a bench near the turtle-duck pond. One of the braver ducklings came waddling over, quaking and nuzzling her bare toes. Giggling, she shooed it away. "Hey, stop it! That tickles!"

Train of thought veering hazardously off course, Aang's gaze snapped over at her in confusion. "What? I'm not even touching you!"

Rolling her eyes, she gestured to the creature stubbornly curled up at her feet. "I'm talking to the turtle-duck," she deadpanned. Then, with a hint of concern, she asked, "What's with you tonight, anyway? You're so spacey and jittery. Did someone spike your punch?"

"No, I just – it's... I'm trying to remember... Well, I'm not sure how to tell you..."

Palm met forehead on the balcony above as Iroh shook his head disapprovingly. Nine minutes and forty-nine seconds had come and gone.

Leaning back on the bench, Toph crossed her arms and scowled at her stuttering friend. "Look, if you've got something to say, _say it_. You know I hate all this 'beating around the bush' crap."

"This isn't an easy thing to say, Toph!"

"Why not? You deliver crazy-inspirational speeches to hordes or war-mongering lunatics as a day job, but you can't tell a close friend one little thing?" she snorted, blowing a loose strand of her from her face. "You're more pathetic than I thought."

And Aang, for all his monk teachings of patience and peace and non-confrontational, lost it.

"You wanna know why it's hard?" he demanded, moving to stand directly in front of her, leaning down so his face was inches from hers.

"Please, do tell!" she snapped back, not intimidated in the slightest (just as the Blind Bandit should be).

"It's because what I have to say might ruin our friendship! I love you, and if you don't feel the same, everything will be awkward and awful and we can never look at each other the same way again!" he shouted, throwing his arms over his head and waving them around expressively. "But I _can't_ not tell you, because it's tearing me up inside and I can't stop thinking about you and everything is still weird anyway! And besides, now I realize that if you don't like me, it's _your_ loss, not mine!"

"Yeah, well-" Toph started, then abruptly stopped. The actual meaning of the words sunk in slowly, twisting her thoughts in a confused, unexpected direction. "Wait, _what_?"

Above them, Iroh smiled. It definitely wasn't the most eloquent confession, but it served its purpose well enough. At least this one hadn't been as violent and messy as his nephew's – it had taken the servants hours to clean up after that incident.

"I... really, really like you," Aang said much more calmly, returning to his senses. A blush burned at his cheeks as he inched away, allowing Toph the space he had been invading.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," she said, eyebrow furrowing, hand waving though gesturing for someone to stop. "_You_... like _me?_"

"Yeah..." he admitted, shrinking back like he expected to be hit. When her only response was to gape, he tentatively asked, "So... Do you like me?"

After an eleven minutes and twenty-two second confession, Toph kissed Aang.

* * *

Author's Notes:_ Hehe. This turned out longer than I expected, but, overall, I'm pretty happy with it. It was fun to write. Iroh is such a sneak, and Toph has a wonderful way of infuriating everyone around her. xD Hopefully you guys like it, too!_

**Disclaimer: I do not own 'Avatar' or any of its characters. **


	11. Knight

Aang was not what Toph would consider a knight.

Knights were strong and brave and charged headfirst into battle. Aang was strong and brave in a very different way, and had a 'words-not-weapons' attitude, always trying to find alternate ways to solve their problems. Knights slay dragons; Aang danced with them. Knights were chivalrous and mannerly; Aang could barely pass as a busboy. Knights road in on a white steed; Aang flew in on a ten-ton bison.

But he had rescued Toph from her misery, like the knights in stories who always saved the princess locked high in the castle tower (though, she was _not_ a princess and would kill anyone who thought otherwise). That had to count for something, right?

As far as fairytales went, theirs was hardly conventional – the monk in a vibrant toga saving the not-a-damsel-in-distress. But it was _their_ story, and they wouldn't dare change it.

* * *

Author's Notes: _So, I'm pretty sure this kinda fic has been done over and over, but I still like it. It's cute and fun to write. _

_Hope you guys like it!_

**Disclaimer: I do not own 'Avatar' or any of its characters. **


	12. X Axis

"Why do I have to learn this, anyway?" Toph grumbled, arms crossed as she glared blindly in the general direction of her math homework.

"Graphing is used a lot in some jobs," Aang said, glancing between his worksheet and hers. Because of her blindness, all her work was given to her in a special format designed for feeling rather than seeing. He had recently discovered that is was best to have his own, visual copy of the work printed for their tutoring sessions.

"None of the jobs _I'm_ gonna work in. Professional wrestlers don't need math."

"Well, _you_ need to pass this test so you can keep a high enough grade to stay on the wrestling team, so I'd suggest letting me help you."

With some annoyed grumbling, Toph straightened her slumped posture and unfolded her arms, reaching for her worksheet. Feeling the raised bumps and lines, she said, "Okay, teach me."

Smiling (he was getting better at convincing her to cooperate – last time it had taken twenty minutes of arguing and a bribe of pizza), he took her hand in his, guiding her finger along the bottom line. "This is the X-axis..."

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Author's Notes: _I have no clue what the point of this drabble is. Originally, it was longer, but I couldn't figure out how to end it, so I just cut off here, instead. Not entirely sure how much I like it, but... Meh. _

**Disclaimer: I do not own 'Avatar' or any of its characters. **


	13. Fingers

Fingers, Toph learned throughout her life, were very versatile.

Her mother taught her that they were for sewing and piano playing and covering your mouth when you let out delicate tinkles of laughter at jokes that weren't very funny. They were also for grooming – tying ribbons and snapping buttons on complicated dresses, styling hair in elegant ways, and applying make-up on eyes and lips and cheeks.

Badger-moles and Earth Rumble Tournaments taught her that fingers were for subtle but powerful strikes, a flick of them capable of splitting the earth or throwing a man twice her size. The tournaments showed her they were for pointing – pointing and laughing and mocking her opponents. They were weapons more powerful than anything her opponents had ever seen.

And Aang taught her that they were for friendship. For pinkie-swears and handshakes, wiping away tears or pulling at her hair. Fingers could catch her when she fell, push her into a corner when they sparred, tickle her when he teased, and offer never-seen gestures of congratulations when she succeeded.

And, much later in life, Aang taught her that his fingers could also pull her heartstrings.

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Author's Notes: _I wrote this a while ago, but didn't get around to posting it 'til now. Hope you guys like it. ^.^_

**Disclaimer: I do not own 'Avatar' or any of its characters. **


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